Clad in very tight grey jeans, Lebedev showed a glimpse of his past as a KGB agent as he launched two blows at the former property developer Sergei Polonsky during a television debate on the financial crisis. Polonsky, once ranked Russia's 40th richest man, had said he wanted to "stick one in the mouth" of Lebedev. In the clip posted on the NTV channel's website, Polonsky was sent tumbling to the floor and Lebedev then stood over him in a crouched fighting stance.

The newspaper baron said later that he had been reacting to Polonsky's threatening manner. The colourful proprietor was quoted as saying: "In a critical situation, there is no choice. I see no reason to be hit with the first shot. I neutralised him."

Putin would have grabbed Lebedev’s arm and made the old man punch himself in the face for good measure. But seriously: perhaps violence is the only action or reaction that the ultra-wealthy fully understand.

The guy on our right is interesting. Stroking his chin and looking away with a faint smile. Could have a thought balloon saying “I have set them against each other. The will fight but I will be the winner!”

Meh. “Lebedev showed a glimpse of his past as a KGB agent.” Yeah, his past as one of the thousands of mid-rank agents who fiddled with pencils and pared their nails while the big guys beat the falsely accused with a chair leg.

Nah. Second punch didn’t connect. First punch was partially blocked as Polonski tried to get up off his ridiculous titanium chair from 1975, and then inadvertently fell back off the edge of the dais. He did the smart thing, getting some distance and keeping his eye on Lebedev.

It just goes to show that all that wealth is probably a result of other equally primitive behavior. A long time ago I used to think that wealthy people were somehow better: More enlightened, more educated, higher functioning. Somewhere in college I finally started understanding that wealthy people were often just sociopaths.